Woman dies after being bitten by venomous octopus in central Vietnam

The funeral of Van Thi Ty, 32, who died last Friday after being bitten by an octopus. Photo by VnExpress

The bite could have come from a blue-ringed octopus, the same species featured in the famous James Bond film 'Octopussy'.

A woman in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue died last Friday after being bitten by an octopus, provincial authorities said on Sunday.

Van Thi Ty, 32, was fishing with her husband in the area off Phu Loc District when the octopus bit her on the leg, causing her to black out.

Ty’s husband rushed her to hospital, but doctors announced her dead on arrival.

Local fishermen have killed the octopus and handed it over to authorities for tests.

In Vietnam, it is very rare for humans to die from an octopus bite, biologist Ngo Dac Chung told Thanh Nien newspaper.

He said the deadly bite could have come from a blue-ringed octopus (Hapalochlaena lunulata). The venom of this species, which has a distinctive blue color when it's alive, can paralyze the human nervous system, leading to heart failure.